~ A youth that used to be part of the silent majority in Singapore.

Why the PAP should continue to govern (Part 1: High Minister Salaries)

It was uncool to be a PAP supporter in JC. Whenever I declare my support for the ruling party, I get ridiculed, accused of being a bootlicker or cannot think independently from what our textbooks teach us.

Seriously, what is wrong with youths this days? In Mandarin, we have this proverb 饮水思源, translated to mean when you drink water, remember the source. The PAP brought Singapore from nothing to something other people from other countries admire in less than 50 years. I can hear the naysayers saying the PAP did not do that, the people did. I agree that Singaporeans did the hard work but I put it to you, without the PAP leading the way, would you have put in the hard work?

One famous phrase in comments is “I do not hate ____ but ____”. I also hear anti-PAP supporters and pro-opposition supporters say, “I do not hate the PAP but ____”

Fill in the blanks with

High Minister salaries

High foreign worker intake

Detaining and lawsuits against the opposition

GRCs

Low healthcare expenditure

Crowded trains that break down

Discrimination because of NS

High Defense spending

Seriously, Singaporeans are a bunch of complainers who do not appreciate what they have. All the problems above are actually small issues compared to other nations. Look at the corruption in Philippines over the aid issue, starvation and piracy in African nations and threat of war in the Korean peninsular. All are much bigger issues that we as Singaporeans don’t have to face.

Nevertheless, let me blow up the above issues and say why we are actually lucky the PAP government has already made the problem small enough. They could have been much worse.

In part 1 of this series, I will discuss why we need to pay top-dollar for our ministers.

I do not doubt the facts that our PM and his Cabinet are paid many times more than second or third on the leadership pay-scale list. I also acknowledge the fact that many Singaporeans are unhappy with these facts.

Our ministers’ salaries are largely pegged to the top earners in the private sector with a variable bonus scheme. These top-earners are usually top bankers, businessmen, engineers, doctors and lawyers. A “discount” is then applied to reflect the sacrifice of public office.

I argue that we are actually underpaying our ministers and other countries are in fact wrong. If CEOs running multi-million dollar corporations get paid a certain amount, I do not see why our leaders running a multi-billion dollar economy should be paid any less.

I can predict what detractors are going to say. Serving the people is a privilege and sacrifices have to be made to enter public office. What idealism!

You pay for what you get. Ever heard of, “you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”. You pay peanuts to office-holders, you can bet Singapore will fall down the corruption list. First, high salaries deter corruption. This example is clearly seen in developing countries like some of our neighbors where civil servants and politicians sometimes take bribes to supplement their meager incomes.

I would prefer a businessman, banker, lawyer, doctors or any other highly qualified people to run Singapore then any Tom, Dick and Harry. These people have managed thousand-employee corporations for years, know our legal system inside out or have the brain capacity to get what they are today. Would you want somebody who wears slippers to register for elections to run the country? Even an opposition politician with a certain PhD was caught lying when he drank glucose water on his hunger strike.

We need to pay to get highly-qualified, honest, capable men and women who have proven their worth in the public, military or private sector to come and lead Singapore. Not people who can only open their mouths to spout human-rights ideas and write fanciful proposals. We need people of action, not paper tigers.

The hidden factor

In my previous article, I wrote about the fact that US President Obama is entitled to use 2 Boeing 747 Air Force One jets at his personal disposal. Let my give further examples, White House maintenance, Camp David, his Secret Service escorts, Marine One helicopters etc. Anyone wanna tabulate how much these benefits costs?

British MPs have hidden housing subsidies. Furthermore, the revolving door system is at work in the US and Europe where politicians enter the private sector after crafting legislation that favours the very companies they will retire in. Google Donald Rumsfeld for a start. US presidents are known to give speeches and write books that net them millions after they leave office. Do you see that happening in Singapore?

I admit Lee Kuan Yew has wrote a few books but I doubt he gets millions in proceeds from them. Do you see our former leaders entering the private sector working for corporations against the people? Our politicians simply fade away for they well-deserved retirement.

The fact is Western politicians have many hidden benefits in office that make their pay seem lower in comparison. Many get cushy jobs after retirement from public office. Who knows, what corrupted legislation they have crafted? Do we want that system in Singapore?

In my concluding remarks, I have shown why the salary comparison that many anti-high-salary supporters used are in fact flawed for they fail to include all the hidden benefits that western politicians have.

Singapore is regularly ranked one of the best places for immigrants to work in or stay. We have safety, our banks respect your privacy and we have a stable political system. All because we have qualified people to steer Singapore to this very point where other citizens from other nations admire us. I put it to you, would you prefer to be born in Singapore or in any other ASEAN country? If you do not want Singapore, I’m sure there are millions who will die for a chance to trade places with you. That is the extent of our success that the 40% do not realise. I urge all of you, don’t kill the chicken that lays the golden eggs.

Thus my stand is that our PM and his cabinet deserve every cent they get. My only gripe is that they aren’t paid more. Look out for my next article.

32 thoughts on “Why the PAP should continue to govern (Part 1: High Minister Salaries)”

Look, are other countries any more transparent that Singapore is? We may not have the Freedom of Information Act but opposition MPs can post questions in parliament. Statistics are available on government websites. You can read articles in TOC and TRS dissecting key government statistics.

There has to be limits on transparency and accountability. For eg, the size of Singapore current account reserve has to be kept secret to protect against overseas speculators on the Sing dollar. Military weapon purchases and location of key installations have to protected at all costs.

What is the point of posting questions only to get stonewalled, ridicule and condescending replies? I have read articles that dissect and shred government statistics to pieces. I append one that I posted elsewhere as a recent example. And we are not even talking about reserves or military expenditure.

In contrast, 10,000 workers from 3,700 companies were owed about S$9.5 million in arrears in 2011. Nearly three-quarters of these companies had underpaid, while the remainder did not make contributions to their employees’ CPF accounts.
//
Statistics provided by the nation-building press.

You talk about incompetence (performance) being relative. When you demand “world class” pay, it is unacceptable that mediocre performance are delivered and tried to explain away with excuses like poor PR. CEOs are paid millions to execute and perform and not give excuses. The high pay demand one to be also good in communication skills. That’s what they teach you in the top school don’t they?

Oh, “Sure past records is not a guarantee of future success, but they sure as well is a good indicator for one.” Right, the screw ups, lousy PR, lack of empathy and leadership over the past decade certainly are sufficient indicators.

The fact that there are government statistics to shred already implies that the SG government is considered quite open in the area of transparency. ST may make mistakes sometimes, but that don’t attribute the blame to the ruling party. Don’t confuse the mistakes made by civil servants with mistakes of the ruling party. Those are entirely separate issues.

I agree the PAP leadership may not have the calibre of Obama when it comes to public speaking. They however get the job done. No one is perfect and mistakes are made sometimes. Obama screwed up when it came to the recent universal health care implementation. He even lied to the American people when he said everyone could keep their preferred insurance plans. Do our politicians lie? Let me advise you first to be careful, make sure what you say can stand up in court.

Let me remind you, the majority of Singaporeans are satisfied with the PAP leadership and anti-PAP netizens like yourself are actually in the vocal minority.

“Don’t confuse the mistakes made by civil servants with mistakes of the ruling party. Those are entirely separate issues.” Then PLEASE, don’t confuse the credit of the public service and attribute them to the PAP.

I must admit, I used to say the exact same things as you michelle.
Practically no one in this country would be willing to serve the country given that you had to face the problems/restrictions of a minister, yet paid peanuts.

The hidden kind of benefits, or additional career benefit from becoming a minister in, for e.g, as you sited US, is an undetermined factor, which COULD lead to substantial benefits after office, but it still is just a big MAYBE.

The problem with Youths these day isn’t with the high salary. Its we pay them high salary yet you get very low quality of work.

When MM Lee first ran the country, I think everyone would agree that most of his policies were meant to help Singaporeans, and Singapore at the same time.
However as the country evolves, the new politicians have forgotten that Singapore was meant for Singaporeans. I believe a lot of other Singaporeans feel left out in the policies.

Look at the HDB prices. – Yes houses should inflate over the years, but I believe that other Singaporeans also feel that the benefits of our forefathers should be left to us that we could buy a cheap home at cost, not like other foreigners who inflate our housing prices.

Look at the traffic in Singapore – Why should Singaporeans be forced to take BUS & MRT and not be able to afford cars? Make cars cheap for Singaporeans and expensive for foreigners. They come here to earn $$$ to bring back to their country.
Let them take the bus and MRT. If this was the case, no one would ever complain about the congested trains or long bus waiting times.

Look at the foreigners – I believe this is a major problem for Singaporeans as some of the policies meant to help us are becoming a hindrance due to upcoming nations like Philippines and India, and with the European slump, a lot of foreigners are moving to Singapore for work.

Just CPF alone will make us 13% more expensive to hire, yet 20% less take home pay.
Make a SEPARATE tax system for foreigners in Singapore. This will put Singaporeans on an even scale.

Lastly – You mentioned that what we have are very minor issues compared to people in other countries who face corruption, or political instability.
This is a very unfair way to compare problems.
Some people can live with a very dirty and messy home, and yet some cannot even live with a speck of dust.
We are living in a very clean home, that even a speck of dust is unacceptable.

This is not a matter of opinion. This is a fact. We cannot allow ourselves to compare backwards, because this is a regressing way of thinking.

You should take a look at China, they are achieving what we have achieved in the past 50 years in the past 20 years.

You cannot overlook the fact that we have no resources, and only people to rely on.
And even people as we claim, we do not really have a lot of people living in our country

What you have discussed is already behind times. What you say people will agree with you say maybe 3-5 years ago. But now? I highly doubt so.

Low quality of work: Where is the proof? The recent floods and policies. Performance is relative right? One man’s low performance is a good job for another. The issue with the PAP is poor PR. “once in 50 years flood” may not be the best words to be uttered to the media. I view the current work as a job well done with extra kinks to iron out. It’s human nature to focus at the kinks and not at the completed machine.

HDB prices
Supply and Demand. Shortage of land causes decreases in supply. People complain about high prices but fail to understand why. The available land in Singapore will progressively get less and less as we develop more land. It stands to reason the prices of the remaining sites will only go up. This is an inevitable fact. If one cannot afford a flat, don’t buy one!

As for regressive thinking, that is a very strange way to look at things. You can only measure track record of politicians if you look backwards. Sure past records is not a guarantee of future success, but they sure as well is a good indicator for one. Why else would job interviews for example ask for prior experience. By you logic, you can tell your interviewer, I have no experience now but put your trust in me, I shall be a good manager 5 years later. She will tell you to go fly kite!

Let me cover public transport and the FT issue in subsequent articles.

With regard to HDB, I am afraid, your position is indefensible. If I may quote you, “It stands to reason the prices of the remaining sites will only go up. This is an inevitable fact. If one cannot afford a flat, don’t buy one!”

Now, I think everyone knows that due to our land size, property prices are going to be relatively higher than other countries. Yet, the increase in housing prices has been much higher than the increase in wages. This means that the people will have to work much harder and longer just to pay the housing loans/mortgages. This begs the question as to why the property prices are increasing at an exponential rate, and this isnt matched by our increase in wages. The most plausible answer is that the demand has increased dramatically over the years and the supply hasnt really matched up to it. HDB controls the supply. Surely, this is more than just a natural progression of an increase in prices; rather, it is some short-sightedness on the part of the govt? Additionally, your last statement is somewhat antithetical to why the HDB was created in the first place. It was meant to provide affordable (emphasis added here) housing for the people.

This shortcoming links back to the issue of ministerial pay as it has often been justified that if we pay peanuts, we get monkeys. Somehow the state of performance lately hasnt been all that stellar as what the old PAP used to achieve. The ministers often state that the pay should be high to attract talent into the government. You have mentioned elsewhere that it is the fault of civil servants and not the incumbent govt. In the corporate world, where a subordinate (ie civil servant equivalent) screws up, the executive’s head is the first to roll. One cannot use the corporate pay scheme as a basis for justification of pay, and ditch the same comparison basis when there is an issue of liability. It just reeks of one who cherry picks their arguments and is often deemed as being disingenuous.

I agree with you that we need the most capable people to run the economy as singapore is just too small and insignificant to fail. While we can have a government of technocrats, can they stand for the dreams and aspirations of the people they represent? We need to answer how well the government improves the quality of life of Singaporeans (as compared to just mindlessly chasing economic figures). You have provided arguments for high salaries to prevent corruption and having the best people to serve. Should then our civil servants, policemen and school teachers be paid top dollar and pegged to top earners as well since they play extremely important roles as well? You have cherry picked examples of the benefits received by leaders from US and UK. How about political leaders of comparable nations like Hongkong, Korea, Canada, Australia, Europe etc. American politics are far more complicated than you have described in your article. Most senators and representatives do not reflect what you have described. In addition, the Secretaries of State, defense, commerce and energy are not political office holders but appointed by the president to lead the various administrations. They can be considered the technocrats leading the various administration with the president and congress appealing to the democratic ideas of the people.

The early leaders of singapore like Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Keng Swee and Lim Kim San were from the grassroots and worked hard to represent the ideas of their generation that is for the young nation to succeed and survive. Were these leaders appointed because they were the best or that they worked to the best they had? Which is more important?

What was not articulated properly is the issue that today’s leaders are elitist and cannot relate to the general population, the high salaries is just a manifestation of this mindset that they belong to a different class. Just some hard truths for you, since you are from a JC would you consider dating someone from ITE?

Just a piece of advice to the young lady: Grow up (literally and figuratively), enter working society and have casted a vote first. Then come back to this in another 5 years, touch your heart (and mind), and say to yourself that what you wrote still stands valid.

Hi Michelle, you know what, there are many Singaporeans like you who understands how the world really works but realize it is too much of a hassle to enlighten ignorant folks (to tell monkeys the earth is round, they first need to understand physics). Good job here, travel far travel wide and you can be damn sure you are right.

Yup just make hay while the sun shines. Whose gonna tell you that the system’s unstable. Right till the subprime crisis, the banks themselves will sell the public toxic products while betting against them. Expect the elite and FT to tell you what’s wrong while the system’s biased towards them?

/// 饮水思源, translated to mean when you drink water, remember the source. ///

Yes, do remember this when you drink NeWater.

/// “you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”. ///

Problem is, we pay millions and still get monkeys.

/// You pay peanuts to office-holders, you can bet Singapore will fall down the corruption list. ///

Problem is, we pay millions and still Singapore fall down the corruption list. Cases of corruption, instead of declining, have been on the increase. Have you not been following all the high-profile cases of corrupt civil servants?

Hi Michelle, i’m so sorry that you have to endure so much flak from one article of yours. It doesn’t make sense though, because as much as the people who are opposing have the right to proclaim their hatred, you too, can declare your support.

It amazes me as to how you can tolerate comments like this – kudos to you! Please do not stop writing, it’s refreshing to see pieces from the other spectrum of our society.

It’s okay if people do call you an elitist, because we do know that elitism is a convenient pejorative for the insults that would make them seem crude if uttered. You have a my support!

I have to qualify that the “benefits” enjoyed by the US president are not perks as we can judge on the surface. Sure he can charter his own flight and save any cost related to it. The deeper issue is the desire of the American people to project influence and power across the world. Air Force one is a symbol of American prestige and power. That is why republicans made a fuss when Obama seemed to have apologized and reached out to the middle eastern countries during his first term. It is also why although president Clinton had improper sexual relationships while in office, he was not impeached. All these was the desire to uphold and support the presidency rather than the person.

Why 2 Air Force ones and the large motorcades? Threat assessments have accessed the need for 2 planes to fly at the same time to keep potential adversaries guessing where the actual president is. Are these perks? Well it is necessary according to their security experts. Even the UK government continues to support their monarchy as they recognize that it helps to preserve and influence British prestige. How much are Chinese leaders getting? In its entirety, how much does ex Chinese leader Jiang Zemin paid? All political leaders in the world are scrutinized for the pay and benefits they received. The question therefore is not how much relative they should be getting but rather the process and whether the considerations are sound and acceptable. An apple to apple comparison may not be appropriate.

Ultimately I am not trying to say our leaders are paid too much they could be underpaid as well if we weight them again at the end of the day. Rather, the manner they have communicated all these like you have mentioned, “I am the best person to serve therefore I deserve top dollar”, “look the US president has Air Force one but I don’t!”, does not go well with the average Singaporean who does not see things improving and in fact it is getting worse. The considerations need to be more robust than that.

In addition, for the US case, all White House expenditures are scrutinized by congress the fated marine one programme was cancelled due to high cost in light of the current fiscal environment. Not all things are taken as a given.

Yes, it is indeed true that Singaporeans are the most annoying complainers in the world who don’t appreciate what the current government has done for us.

Look at the corruption: Our very own Peter Lim, Commissioner of the SCDF, Ng Boon Gay Senior Assistant Commissioner of CNB are our “highly respected” civil servants. Why are they arrested for serious misconduct? Corruption is everywhere.

Starvation: If it wasn’t a small little island, I think the government of Singapore would face the same problem that the Africa continent are now. Because of the land and population size, Singapore is a lot easier to manage than a continent.

Threats of war: Come on, We have no natural resources like oil, precious gems and metals. Which is indeed why no people up until this day wants to invade us.

Second, you argued that the ministers of Singapore need to be highly paid just like a CEO of some big ass company in order to set things right for this nation. Well, let me tell you this, if your thinking is this way, Mr Peter Lim and Ng Boon Gay are highly paid government officials and is certainly not honest enough. Please take a look at China, Russia, US president, they aren’t as demanding as our ministers are. They took pay which is several times lower than our minister and is still doing a good job. Their population is far outnumbering than ours, if they can manage their population with such a low pay, I don’t see why our ministers can’t. Plus, The people serving as minister in Singapore is because of the money, not the well-being of the people. As you said “you pay peanuts, you get monkeys” it is true to a certain extent but not in this.

If you did read the news in the recent yahoo article. New Zealand’s prime minister argued that, 100k – 300k per year for a minister is enough for their country and will not be rising anymore. Which I come to think of it, they are the world’s least corrupted country and their people in the cabinets is still taking a low pay. What have you got to say about this?

Third, let’s say Obama is entitled to the Air Force of the US, White House maintenance, Camp David, Escorts and Marine One Helicopters.

I’m going to tell you this, people sitting on his positions are one of the people that is likely to get killed. Obama’s words, actions probably has concerns of this world. Every time he visits a foreign country and is accompanied by the air force for security reasons like the above and I believe our own president of Singapore fly with a chartered airplanes and not with commercials like everyone else did. Just look at ex-US president John F Kennedy for example, because they simply do not want another assassination incident to happen.

As for the White House maintenance, do you mean that our own Istana doesn’t need any maintenance? Our President of Singapore doesn’t need an escort? How much do you think Singapore is spending on all these too?

The US president are known to give speeches and sell books after their terms is because the US president can only hold UP TO 2 terms in the office, which is why they needed a source of income after their time as the president of US. Selling books is also one good way to generate income which he doesn’t get any more after their time in the office.

Yes, Singapore is the good place for the people to stay and work because we do not have natural disaster, because of safety and blah blah blah, regarding the bank part of your article. Mind do you enlighten me which bank in this world do not safeguard their client’s personal information?

Because we have those unqualified people to steer Singapore to this very point where citizens can’t afford to meet their month’s end. Yes, I would like to switch my places with 1 of the New Zealander’s where it is good for me to survive.

This 60.1% doesn’t realized we are beginning on our downfall. That we are either jobless, low-paid in order to compete with the foreigners, students who only knows how to look things at a very straight angle. I would be glad to kill this chicken that has been looting our golden eggs for its selfish purpose.

Thus, my stand in this comment is, if no complaints are done, no opposition to check on our government, it will only keep increasing the minister’s pay and our problems will still be the same.

Dear Michelle, years ago I was a very staunch supporter of the PAP. The social compact or social contract we called in those days is that you take away our freedom (freedom of speech, freedom of assembly without police permits) in exchange for economic prosperity, really affordable public housing, a guarantee of good life if you put in your fair share of honest work output. That was then in the 80’s and up to late 90’s.

The surreptitious influx of foreigners since the late 90’s and the massive influx after 2006 without any corresponding building of more HDB flats, hospitals and improving the transport system resulted in the various problems we are facing in 2009 to 2013. Prices of housing skyrocketed, hospitals facing a bed crunch, MRT overcrowding and facing frequent breakdowns, skyrocketing COE prices. These symptoms are just the tip of the iceberg. How about many Singaporeans being under-employed or those in their 40’s and 50’s losing their jobs because they are being replaced by cheaper but not necessarily better performing foreigners( ultra capitalist policies in the guise of globalisation). The list can go on and on.

The archetypal PAP apologist and of course the nauseating Straits Times would often espouse the need for Singaporeans to be thankful and to be blessed yadayadayada. Often comparing our good fortune and to count our blessings if we were to compare with third world countries or even our immediate neighbouring countries. If we pay our ministers first world salaries, naturally we demand first world performance (beyond the GDP numbers which only benefit the top 20% of the population). We cannot expect mediocre performance and still pay our PAP ministers astronomical sums. If they have claimed to have the 20/20 foresight and helicopter vision, surely they would have forseen that a massive influx of immigrants need a massive improvement of infrastructure from the start, I.e to start building more HDB flats and hospitals since 2005 instead of only in 2011/2012 after losing a GRC and a decrease in popular votes from 66% to 60.1%. The signs are clear their popular support among true blue local Singaporeans are diminishing by the day as seen in after PE2011 and HG BE 2012 and PE BE 2013.

We would naturally compare our wages, purchasing power, quality of life, human rights, cost of living vis a vis the Nordic countries and the choice migration countries (Australia, New Zealand and Canada) among disillusioned Singaporeans who have put in their heart, sweat and soul to the country but kept on being betrayed by our million dollar ministers.

“Look at the corruption in Philippines over the aid issue, starvation and piracy in African nations and threat of war in the Korean peninsular.”
This is as far as I got because your attempt to justify the ministerial high salaries with corruption in the Philippines, piracy in Africa and the war in the Korean peninsular hurts my capacity to understand. I will just take one to illustrate how shallow these reasons are.

Are you saying that because we pay our ministers high salaries there is no similar war in Singapore like that between the Korea’s? So exactly which part of Singapore is supposed to be fighting which part?